Wednesday, March 21, 2012

FSGL refused official recognition

After receiving great encouragement from former minister of sport Roselyne Bachelot and secretary of state for sport Rama Yade, FGG member organization FSGL began a long and difficult process of applying for recognition as an official national sport federation. This would have given the national LGBT sport federation a more favorable position as a partner of other national sports federations, and access to technical and financial resources to develop the activities of the federation and its member clubs.

A major reform of the Federations statutes and bylaws was made via a series of general assemblies. Special rules on doping, on health, on officiating, etc. were developed to comply with ministry requirements.

After a meeting with the ministry's legal department to better understand the formal application process, and before officially submitting any documentation, the FSLG was surprised to receive a refusal (for an application that had yet to be filed) from the minister's office, stating that even if all requirements were met, the FSGL did not qualify because it is not a sports federation (!), news that will come as a great surprise to the thousands of affiliated members who thought that when they were playing volleyball, racing in a swim meet, or playing in a tennis tournament that they were practicing sport.

One might have thought that the current minister for sport David Douillet, who though of the same party as previous more welcoming ministers Bachelot, Yade and Jouano, known for his homophobia and misogyny, would have taken a bit more care in dealing with this sensitive matter.

In a few weeks, whatever the outcome of the elections, the occupants of the various ministries are likely to change, and it can be hoped that the new minister for sport will at the very least give the FSGL the chance to file an application.